UK Stocks-Factors to watch on February 20 (updated)
20/02/2025 08:09
(Adds FTSE 100's open, new items)
Feb 20 (Reuters) - Britain's FTSE 100 .FTSE opened
0.62% lower on Thursday.
* LLOYDS: Lloyds Banking Group LLOY.L reported a 20.4%
drop in annual profit, missing market expectations, as interest
rate cuts hit lending margins and Britain's sluggish economic
recovery hurt the bank's income.
* ANGLO AMERICAN: Anglo American AAL.L posted an
annual loss
of $3.1 billion after taking an impairment of $3.8 billion,
mostly due to its ailing diamond unit, as it races to
restructure into a major copper producer following a bruising
takeover battle with BHP BHP.AX last year.
* CENTRICA: Centrica CNA.L announced a
share buyback
of 500 million pounds ($629.70 million) and maintained its
2025 forecast, after the British Gas owner reported annual
profit in line with analyst expectations.
* INDIVIOR: British drugmaker Indivior INDV.L
projected
a 17% decline in 2025 net revenue
at the midpoint of its forecast range, partly hurt by
sluggish sales of its film-form medication-assisted therapy for
opiate addiction.
* HAYS: British recruiter Hays' HAYS.L first-half
operating profit more than
halved
, as uncertainty across major European economies crimped
hiring.
* WOOD GROUP: Wood Group WG.L said CFO Arvind Balan will
step down with immediate effect following an incorrect
description of his professional qualifications.
* RIO TINTO: Rio Tinto RIO.AX RIO.L does not support
consolidating the company's dual-exchange share listing in
Sydney, its CEO told as the miner reported its lowest full-year
underlying earnings in five years.
* GOLD: Gold prices rose to a record high.
* EX-DIVS: BP BP.L , AstraZeneca AZN.L , Easyjet EZJ.L ,
Imperial Brands IMB.L and Moonpig MOONM.L will trade without
entitlement to its latest dividend pay-out on Thursday.
* For more on the factors affecting European stocks, please
click on: LIVE/
TODAY'S UK PAPERS
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(Compiled by Simone Lobo in Bengaluru)
((Simone.Lobo@thomsonreuters.com; +919920570373;))